Military vehicle and bridge



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BY I m zapm ew ATTURN EYE Patented Aug. 8, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT -QFF|CE V l x 2,355,473 f a VEHICLEAND BRIDGE I J 01in Sava e, N eiv Toi'k, N. Y. Application May 19, 1943, Serial No. 487,655

4 Claims. My invention relates to military vehicles, and g has among its objects and advantages the provision of a vehicle of the self-propelled type.

which is capable of operating on land or water, and in which novel means are provided for coaction with two of the vehicles for erecting a bridge over narrow and shallow bodies of water.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a bridge made up of two vehicle units and spanning bodies.

Figure 2 is a top view partly in section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of one of the vehicles and some of the spanning bodies.

Figure 4 is an end view of one of the vehicles with a portion illustrated in section, and

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of one of the spanning bodies.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, Figures'l and 2 illustrate two vehicles or driving units I 0 located on opposite sides of a stream I2 and lying in abutting engagement with the stream banks I4. Spanning bodies I 6 and I8 are arranged end to end in abutting engagement, with the bodies I6 respectively engaging the ends of the vehicles I0. Two cables 20 are arranged along each of the lateral sides of the bridge column 22, with the cables passing through eyes 24 on the bodies I6 and I8. The two upper cables are guided around grooved wheels 26 and are connected with spools 28 which may be turned for stretching the cables and clamping the tanks Ill and the bodies I6 and I8 into a unitary structure. The lower cables 20 also pass around grooved wheels 30 and connect with spools 32.

The rear end walls of the two vehicles ID are arranged in diverging relationship when viewed according to Figure 1, and each body I6 has an inclined end fitting against the adjacent end of the vehicle I II. Thus the vehicles and the bodies may be fixedly tied into a unitary structure through tightening of the cables 20 so that the bridge column 22 may carry loads such as heavy trucks, guns and the like.

All the bodies I6 and I8 comprise a frame structure 34 and metallic walls 36. The bodies have openings 38 on opposite sides, which openings are normally covered by removable plates 40. These plates may be removed when the column 22 is set up in a stream having a considerable pressure head so that the water may fiow through the column. All the bodies I6 and I8 are provided with air and watertight chambers 42 at their bottoms.

The vehicles Ill are identical in construction so that the description of one will apply toboth.

In Figures 2, 3 and 4, the vehicle I0 includes the usual tread runners 44 supported on rollers 46. A water and airtight chamber 48 is provided in the bottom of the vehicle. Upon the top floor 50 of the vehicle is mounted an engine 54 which drives a worm 56. A speed changing gear unit 58 is interposed between the engine and the worm. The worm meshes with a worm gear 60 fixed to a rotatably supported shaft 62. Two shafts 64 are arranged coaxially with the shaft 62 and may be selectively connected therewith through the medium of clutches 66.

Each shaft 64 is provided with a bevel gear 68 meshing with a bevel gear I0 fixed to a shaft I2 extending along one side of the vehicle. Each shaft 12 is provided with two bevel gears I4 con nected with shaft I6 to drive sprockets I8 for propelling the tread 44 on that side of the vehicle.

Each shaft "I2 also includes two bevel gears meshing with bevel gears 82 attached to vertical shafts 84 having bevel gears 86 connected therewith and meshing with bevel gears 88 attached to shafts 90 for driving the lower sprockets 92.

Both side walls 94 of the vehicle are provided with openings 96 normally closed by detachable plates 98. These plates may be removed to permit the passage of water through the tank in the same manner as the plates 40. In cases where the vehicle is to perform a bridge service, the chamber 48 may be filled with water through the medium of a valve I00 to sink the vehicle solidly on the river or stream bed. The water may be removed from the chamber through the medium of a pipe I02 and a .pump I04.

The vehicle includes two propellers, one of which is illustrated at I06 in Figure 3. The rear wall I08 of the vehicle is depressed to provide accommodation for the propeller. This propeller is mounted on a sleeve IIO slidably mounted on a shaft H2 and normally retracted to the position of Figure 3. The sleeve may be extended and made secure. to the shaft H2 by a set screw II4, as when the vehicle is to be floated across the stream. A bevel gear I I6 is attached to the shaft H2 and meshes with a bevel gear II8 which may be rotatably connected with one of the shafts 84 through the medium of a clutch I20. The spacing between the wall 52 and the wall I22 of the chamber 48 is such as to provide ample room for one or more operators.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain my invention, that others may,

by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

1. A bridge device of the type described comprising two self-propelled vehicles, bridge bodies arranged between the vehicles withtheir ends in contact with each other and with the ends of the vehicles, the vehicles and bridge bodies having flat upper sides, and means connecting the bridge bodies together andto the vehicles to .maintain the upper sides of the vehicles and bridgebodies in a common plane.

2. A bridge device as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the contacting ends of each vehicle and the adjacent. bridge body are inclined .upwardly and in the direction of the front end of the veplates for said openings.

hicle and wherein said connecting means is adapted to hold the vehicles and bridge bodies with their ends in contacting relation.

3. A bridge device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for connecting the bridge bodies and vehicles comprises an upper and lower cable at the lateral sides of the bridge bodies, and eyes carried by the bridge bodies through which the cables pass, and means carried by the vehicles by which the cables may be placed and held under tension.

4,. A bridge device as set forth n claim 1, wherein the vehicles and bridge bodies are buoyant and provided with openings extending transvrsely therethrough, and wherein the vehicle and bridge bodies are provided with removable JOHN O. SAVAGE. 

